Seniors Travel to Peru

I have a boy in my French class from Peru. His name is Hector. Great kid…which makes me want to explore with you a great country with many interesting places for seniors to visit. Peru, located on the western coast of South America, is coastal and mountainous country. I do remember this about the area…guinea pigs are a culinary delicacy. Could you chow down on an guinea pig? It is kinda like killing Bambi.

With an area of 496,225 sq mi, Peru, the third largest country in South America, is bigger than France, (for your information, so is Texas) Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland combined. Peru has a population of 8 million people. From the Andes Mountain range on the eastern side and to the Pacific Ocean on the western side, Peru is blessed with natural, beautiful landscapes, making it an amazing travel destination.

Do you remember “El Condor Pasa“? Here is where you will hear beautiful Peruvian music on the pan flute. I love Peruvian pan-flute music. This is a popular site according to the over 1,2 million folks who have accessed it on YouTube.

Lima, the capital, is the only gateway of entry to the country because it has the only international airport. This fact constitutes a big advantage for the visitors because it gives them the opportunity to know this beautiful and historic city. Lima was founded in 1532 by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Almost one third of Peru’s total population is located in Lima, the seat of the national government and the financial ,industrial and commercial center of the country. Peru’s best museums,restaurants and art and crafts shops are found in Lima and many of the classic colonial buildings are located in the historic center.

Here are the top ten visitor sites to see in this beautiful country. Of course Cuszo andMachu Pichu rank near the top. This is the “land of the Incas.” Inca walls, colorful costumes, churches built on top of palaces, citadels lost in the Andean heights, legendary roads-all the beauty of a glorious past that enfolds the visitors who arrives in Cuzco, the sacred city of the Incas and archaeological capital of the Americas. Ever since US archaeologist Hiram Bingham discovered the citadel of Machu Picchu the Lost City of the Incas, Cusco has fired the imagination of millions of travelers from all over the world who venture down the Inca Trail every year, headed for the summit of one of the world’s most extraordinary monuments.

The Peruvian often use superlatives to describe the features of their country. For example, there is Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake at 12,725 ft above sea level or the awesome Cordillera Blanca, which is about 112 miles long and 12 miles wide. In this fairly small area, there are more than 50 peaks of 18,696 ft or higher. Did you know that the Amazon river, the world’s mightiest, originates in Peru and its namesake rainforest makes up much of the country (I didn’t know that either).

A little more information for you to consider before you embark on this adventure to Peru and a video to watch…too bad that they spelled Incas wrong here. Do check out Frommers prior to your visit and TripAdvisor has lots of aids and suggestion as well. Enjoy the condors! jeb

[...] adventures to exotic places. This one is no different. This city is the second largest city in Peru and of late is the gateway to some of the country’s most captivating culture and terrain. [...]